C-RAN (cooperative or cloud radio access network) is a next generation wireless network infrastructure being actively explored by the cellular communication industry worldwide, aiming at greatly reducing the total cost of ownership of operators by using centralized BBU (baseband unit) processing and remotely connected RRUs (remote radio units). In order to realize the full advantages of C-RAN, however, there are still challenges that remain to be addressed, including cost-effective long distance fiber connections, scalable BBUs, dynamic load sharing, and fault tolerance. These are among the concerns of the present disclosure.